Connecting device for railroad-signal circuits



Jan 1931- c. A. WILLIAMS 1,737,451

CONNECTING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD SIGNAL CIRCUITS Filed Feb. 3, 1926 Cam 4. 77%

Patented Jan. 6, 1$l31 I I i r YUN'TIT'ED j sT-A'res I oFFicE cenwiinnn; WILLIAMS, or wimvrnve'ron, mam CAROLINA comvnc'rme DEVICE FOR nAILrt'oAn-sIeNAn cmcurrs Application filed February 1926. Serial No. 85,628.

This invention relates to 'improvedxcon- Figure 2 is ,a horizontal view in Section necting devices for railway signal circuitsand ,through the covering cap and taken on the is concerned particularly with the improve-. plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1 ments whereby underground cables may be andlooking in. the direction of the arrows. led into concrete bootlegs and connections Figure 3 is a View in elevation of a binding 55 readily made between thewires therein and post for attachment tothe terminal sleeve. the rails through means which of themselves It willbe understood as the description proserve-important mechanical purposes in cenceeds that the invention is not to be limited tering the endof the cable and providethe to the form orcomposition of some'of the electricalconnection desired. 'In combineelements illustrated sincethe'ymay be of o tion with such improved means it is proposed any conventional character known to the art to associate devicesfor protecting'the wiring and adapted to serve their intended functions. against the elements "while affording maxi- Ilowevenforclearness and emphasis the dc mum accessibility for completing or inter- 'scription will be addressed to an assembly in 1 rupting thecircuits More particularly, the which there is provided a parkway cable a, improvements are designed to enlarge. the a concrete bootleg band atapered' terminal 0 usefulness of so-called parkway cables which for the wire 0 leading to the raild. In the are adaptedto belaid directly in the earth and use of parkway cable it is desirable to provide need only convenient facilities for electrical for convenient anchorage therefor and 'elecconnections to the rails at intervals for wide trical. connections therebetween. This cable is r connection of the wires to terminals,these face as at b this recess being shouldered and 7 spread adoption. By the present improvemay be led into a concrete bootleg I) either ments this type of cable may be led into bootthrough the bottom or side walls thereof. In legs either through the bottom or side walls accordance with the invention'it is proposed and held centered in convenient position for to recess the concrete bootleg b on its upper terminals affording convenient and accessible merging. intothe central opening bithrough binding posts for the rail bond connections. the b'oetleg into which the cable extends. The In accordance with the improvements it is shoulder b 1n the recess 6' 18 adapted to supproposed to employ a termlnal sleeve of high port, in a manner which will now be. de-

conductivity and mechanical strength which scribed, the improved terminal devices. A so itself receives the end of the cable and holds metal sleeve cl constitutes the terminaland is it centered and in addition carries the binding formed with a peripheral flange d at its up posts to which the feed wires and the rail 7 per end to serve the two-foldpurpose of rewires are attached, the terminal sleeves themceiving suitable binding screws 6 and afford 1 selves acting as conductors. The supportfor ing a support for the terminal by coaction the sleeve is the concrete bootleg or the like with the shoulder b in the bootleg. This tershouldered and recessed similarly to the 'mina'l'sleeve d may be of any desired metal of sleeve and a similar sleeve of insulating comsuitable conductivity and durability to meet pound is interposed between the bootleg and the conditions of use brass, for instance, hav- 40 the terminal. An iron cap may be bolted ing been found satisfactory. The bore of the directly over the terminal connections to prosleeve d is preferably of such diameter with tect them from, the weather and afford outlet reference to the exterior diameter of the cable openings for the bond wires. Reference is a as toreceive-the cable somewhat snugly and now to be had to the accompanying drawings hold it centered and anchored against disfor a detailed description of one suitable emlodgment. Further, the sleeve is of su'fiicient bodiment of the invention, wherein: f length to adaptit to this centering function Figure 1 is a View in section through all of so that it will overlie a' comparatively subthe improved devices and through a rail, the stanti'al length ofcable. Interposed between electrical connections being conventionally the terminal sleeve ol and the concrete bootleg indicated. I is a similar sleeve def insulating compound which embraces the terminal sleeve (Z snugly and in addition extends around the edge of the flange cl. This insulating compound rests directly in engagem nt with the shouldered concrete bootleg and protects the terminal against electrical leakages, short circuits and the like in a'manner which will be apparent from the relationship of parts illustrated in Figure 1. In the preferred form the flange (5 of the terminal sleeve d has a plurality of openings (Z therein as many as four in num her being shown inFigure 2. The binding screw 0 as illustrated in Figure 3 may be threaded in two or more of these openings (5 and locked in place by a nut e, a lock nut a being also provided for clamping when the wires are finally secured to the binding screws. The feed wire a of the cable (I. is led to one of the binding posts .6 while the bond wires 0 are connected to others of the binding posts 6, the metal of the terminal sleeve itself acting as a conduct-or between the posts to complete the circuit. Over thejunction members described may be fastened a cap f to keep out the weather this cap having a channel f at one side to accommodate the wires 0 and itself being readily detachable to afford ready access to the parts for connection or interruption of the circuits.

The elements illustrated are such as to be most conducive to ready assembly, electrical connections, inspection and repairs. The cables at when led up through the bootleg Z) find a convenient centering member in the terminal sleeve d. This cable is held against accidental dislodgment in a most eiiective manner by this terminal sleeve. Insulation protects the terminal sleeve in its seat on the concrete bootleg. Electrical connections between the various parts are easily made through the binding post carried with the terminal sleeve.

As pointed out hereinbefore changes in the particular nature of the elements and in the materials thereof may be made without de parting from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a bootleg having a shouldered recess at its upper end, a terminal .sleeve extending down into the bootleg to receive and center a cable, a flange on the sleeve adapted to be supported on said shouldered recess, said sleeve and flange being insulated from the ground, and means on the flange of the sleeve for connection with outside wires.

2. In combination, a bootleg having a shouldered recess at its upper end, a flanged terminal sleeve adapted to be supported on said shouldered recess and extend down into the bootleg to receive and center the cable, and insulating composition interposed between the bootleg and the sleeve.

3. In combination, a bootleg having a shouldered recess at its upper end, a flanged terminal sleeve adapted to be supported on said shouldered recess and to extend down into the bootleg to receive and center a cable, insulating composition interposed between the bootleg and the sleeve, and means electrically connected with the said terminal to complete electrical connection from the cable.

4. In combination, a bootleg having a shouldered recess at its upper end, a flanged terminal sleeve adapted to be supported on said shouldered recess and to extend down into the bootleg to receive and center a cable, insulating composition interposed between the boot-leg and the sleeve, means electrically connected with the said terminal to complete electrical connection from the cable, and means electrically connected with the said terminal to provide for electrical connection with an outside electrical conductor. v 5; In combination, a bootleg having a shouldered recess at its upper end, a flanged terminal sleeve adapted to be supported on said shouldered recess and to extend down into the bootleg to receive and center a cable, insulating composition interposed between the bootleg and the sleeve, means electrically connected with the said terminal to complete electrical connection from the cable, means electrically connected with the said-terminal to provide for electrical connection with an outside electrical conductor, and a removable cap to cover the top of the bootleg.

6. In combination, a bootleg having a shouldered recess at its upper end, a terminal sleeve having a flange adapted to be supported on said shouldered recess and to extend down into the bootleg to receive and center the cable, said sleeve being insulated from the ground binding posts on the flange of the sleeve for connection with outside wires, and a cap to cover the top of the bootleg.

This specification signed this 15th day of June, A. D. 1925.

CADIVELL A. WILLIAMS. 

